A third unvaccinated person has died from measles-related causes. The child was school-aged and lived in West Texas, which has nearly 500 cases.

A second school-age child who was hospitalized with measles is the third measles-related death in the U.S. since the virus started ripping through West Texas in late January.

The child died Thursday, according to state health officials. The child was 8 years old, according to a statement from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, confirmed the child was unvaccinated and being treated for measles complications.

The U.S. now has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024, with Texas reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday. Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities.

The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts’ fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

  • IphtashuFitz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    48·
    18 hours ago

    It really pisses me off that these children are dying due to the ignorance and intolerance of their parents and other adults around them.

    • Lembot_0001@lemm.ee
      5·
      13 hours ago

      People die all the time because of the ignorance and intolerance of their superiors.

      The sad part is that in this case nobody will learn anything.

  • d00phy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    17 hours ago

    Not to be callous, but I really have to wonder what the line is between an acceptable and unacceptable number of child deaths before someone in charge in that state actually does something. Obviously, I know the GOP playbook: the first lawmaker’s kid who dies and suddenly it will be “important,” but assuming that doesn’t happen, what’s the number?